Meteors visible in Spain at a rate of three a minute on Sunday and Monday night!

One of the many aspects of life in Spain which appear to be absolutely invariable in August (including heatwaves, forest fires and clogged motorways) is the annual Perseid meteor shower, which always motivates thousands of people to spend the night outdoors watching the sky to see shooting stars speed across the heavens.

This astronomical event actually lasts for around a month (this year from 17th July to 24th August), but the peak of visible activity in 2018 is on Sunday 12th and Monday 13th August. As this almost coincides with a new moon (11th August) there will be more meteors visible than in other years, and shooting stars should be seen at a maximum rate of approximately three a minute!

These meteors are generally slow and steady, and tend to follow a similar trajectory, so if another member of your star-gazing party squeals out, "ooh there's one" while you're busy looking in the opposite direction and topping up the crisps bowl or re-filling the wine glasses, then focus more intently on that particular area of the sky and the chances of spotting the odd meteor or two increase considerably.

Unfortunately the beach is not the best place to see the Perseids due to the humidity in the air, and those with real interest in getting the best view are advised to head for higher ground where the horizon is clear (assuming, of course, that there are no clouds in the sky!)

The myth of the Tears of San Lorenzo

In popular parlance the Perseids are often known as the “Lágrimas de San Lorenzo” (tears of Saint Lawrence), partly because the feast day of this Saint is on 10th August.

The story surrounding this man is set in Rome in 258 AD, when the Roman Emperor Valerian was persecuting the Christians within the city, and having already beheaded the Pope he ordered the Deacon (Lorenzo) to bring forward the treasures of his church and show them for what they were.

In response, Lorenzo presented the poorest members of his congregation, saying they were Gods greatest treasures, but failing to see the poetry of this gesture or the wit of the response the judge ordered him to be burnt alive on a griddle.

He is said to have died bravely, calling out to his tormentors, "turn me over, for I am cooked on this side, turn me over, and eat." For which, of course, he was awarded the ultimate prize for humour in dire circumstances, Sainthood, becoming the patron saint of comedians and, rather bizarrely, of butchers and roasters!

These falling stars are said to represent his tears of agony.

This meteor shower appears to come from the constellation of Perseus (although in fact it doesn’t), hence its name, and consists of particles ejected from the comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, travelling on a 130-year orbit for around 2,000 years. These particles re-enter the earth’s atmosphere at 60 kilometres per second at an altitude of 130 kilometres above the surface of the earth, and although it may look as though these are substantial meteorites heading towards the earth are in fact tiny, varying in size from between that of a grain of sand and a pea.

The comet passes closest to the sun every 133 years (the last time it did so was in 1992) and has a nucleus measuring 26 kilometres in diameter. The number of meteors left behind during the 1990’s was high, but figures are now falling and the comet will not be as close again until 2125.